Connection Circles

Start a Connection Circle

As Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” We cannot build an economy that works for all without tapping into a deeper place in our humanity. Science shows that we are hardwired for connection — but it is not guaranteed. It requires cultivation.

Connection Circles invite us to stand together in a shared commitment to #ChooseConnection. Each month you will receive one “practice” that helps us connect more deeply in our common humanity — in board rooms, breakrooms, and in the meetings we host with other entrepreneurs and investors. Each month you will also receive one “parable” to help light our collective imagination, with real stories of a revolutionary re-imagining of business. Read more about why choosing connection matters so much, watch below to learn how science has confirmed the power of cultivating social connection, and start a Connection Circle today.

How To Get Started:

1. HOST YOUR CIRCLE

The monthly format will work for any size group, for as little as 15 minutes or as much as an hour. Your Connection Circle might be a group of business owners who you host at your office or home. You could consider adding a session to a monthly network meeting, or folding into an existing board or staff meeting.

You can keep it simple and just use what we send each month or come up with your own ideas and share them with us. Stay tuned for our Facilitator’s Guide , which includes a sample invite for your Connection Circle, facilitation skill sets, techniques, agreements, practices and activities, and more.

“One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. …Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do.”~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

2. STAY CONNECTED

Let us know who you are and where you’re convening, and we’ll add your name to our map of local economy leaders. Feedback is welcome at any time: Bryan Ting can be reached at bryan@bealocalist.org or 510-587-9417. You will receive three short surveys over the course of the pilot, as we evaluate what’s working and what we need to refine and we will want your ideas for what else we can do together.

“What is needed now more than ever is leadership that steers us away from fear and fosters greater confidence in the inherent goodness and ingenuity of humanity.” ~ Jimmy Carter

3. SPREAD CONNECTION

As you continue hosting your Connection Circle, we encourage you to share insights and reflections on social media channels, tagged with #ChooseConnection.

Share as many stories as you can, as widely as you can. Document and distribute the small sparks, ideas and practices you’ve seen from innovators in your community. Some may be examples of how a local business is experimenting and experiencing deeper connection in their community; these ideas might become “parables” to inspire others. Other stories might offer processes that support entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs in designing for connection. Perhaps you’ll develop investment vehicles or business tools or metrics designed to reflect this shift. We are interested in it all. Please share your story with us.

Share each other’s stories and the parables that we send to you, near and far. Encourage others to host a Circle and to #ChooseConnection when you speak or travel.

“It is our right and responsibility to imagine the world that we want. … We have to imagine beyond fears. We have to ideate together. … The more people who collaborate on that ideation, the more people who will be served by the resulting world (s). And what we pay attention to grows…” ~ Adrienne Maree Brown

Members of the Etsy.org Good Business cohort of Brooklyn entrepreneurs participating in a day-long #ChooseConnection workshop.